


No Man's Land

by Amarylissa



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Community: 1_million_words, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2013-02-28
Packaged: 2017-12-03 22:28:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amarylissa/pseuds/Amarylissa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For 1 Million Words Weekend Music Prompt, song, No Man's Land. Lyrics at the end of the fic.</p>
    </blockquote>





	No Man's Land

**Author's Note:**

> For 1 Million Words Weekend Music Prompt, song, No Man's Land. Lyrics at the end of the fic.

Danny’s been on the lanai for an hour now, sitting with a beer in his hand. Steve was at the edge of the ocean when he arrived, and hasn't shifted. There’s something in the set of his shoulders that stops Danny from going to join him; not yet, anyway. They both knew that tonight would be difficult, so many feelings, so much unsaid, and Steve ships out tomorrow.

Danny scrapes at the bottle label. He wants to say something, but what? How can he say, ‘Don’t go’, without holding Steve back from the job he loves; how can he say, ‘I’ll worry,’ when he doesn't say it any other day; how can he say ‘I love you,’ without rocking the basis of everything he has relied on for the last few years. 

Instead he sits and stares at the expanse of sand dividing him from his partner. 

ooooooooooooo

Steve sits, toes in the ocean. He’s only a few hundred meters from the house, but he can’t turn and make his way back up the beach. That first step back towards the house will be the start of leaving Hawaii. 

When he agreed to reactivate he didn't realize leaving would hurt so badly: it never had before. Just one more mission, he’d thought: they needed his skills, and he’d only be gone a few months. But now, he didn't know if he could go. He’d said goodbye to his mom a couple of days back. He’d done drinks with the team earlier that evening, but headed off promptly: he has to be on a plane at 5am and doesn't intend to start the mission hung over. It’s past midnight, though, and he’ll be traveling on no sleep if he can force himself to go. The Hawaiian night isn't cold, but Steve shivers. 

ooooooooooooo

That small movement is enough to bring Danny to his feet. He starts down the beach. Steve senses the presence of someone else, stands and turns. His first step up the beach is made without thought as he sees his partner heading towards him. 

“What’s up? Is there a case?” 

Steve’s words spill out before he realizes that can’t be it. As of that evening, he’s not Five-0. A bright young thing from HPD has been drafted in to work with Danny for the next few months. He tries again, 

“Grace? Is Grace OK?"

Only a crisis could bring Danny to the beach at this hour: they’d already said goodbye at the bar. 

“It’s OK. Don’t panic. We’re good. I just ...”

And for once the voluble Danny Williams runs out of words. 

Danny tries again: “Look, I only said ‘Goodbye,’ I didn't get to say...”

Steve waits, a small frown on his face. But seeing Danny has released something within him, and for once, he has the words: 

“Danny, I’ve made a mistake: I don’t want to go. I thought it was the Navy for ever, but this is going to be the last time.”

Danny’s face lights up. Encouraged, Steve moves forward, puts a hand on Danny’s arm. 

“I should have said something before.”

“No, you’re the Neanderthal when it comes to things like this: I should have said ...”

Danny drops his head slightly and mumbles: “I didn't want to ask you to stay. I didn't want to hold you back.”

And all at once Steve loses any desire to fit in a few hours of sleep. His grip tightens on Danny: “I've gotta finish packing: come and help?”

**Author's Note:**

> Headin' in or headin' out  
> Standing on the shore  
> Pause a moment to reflect  
> Which trip costs you more  
> Between the ever restless crowds  
> And the silence of your room  
> Spend an hour in no man's land  
> You'll be leaving soon 
> 
> Victims come and victims go  
> There's always lots to spare  
> One victim lives the tragedy  
> One victim stops to stare  
> And still another walks on by  
> Pretending not to see  
> They're all out there in no man's land  
> 'Cause it's the safest place to be 
> 
> But sanctuary never comes  
> Without some kind of risk  
> Illusions without freedom  
> Never quite add up to bliss  
> The haunting and the haunted  
> Play a game no one can win  
> The spirits come at midnight  
> And by dawn they're gone again 
> 
> And so it seems our destiny  
> To search and never rest  
> To ride that ever changing wave  
> That never seems to crest  
> To shiver in the darkest night  
> Afraid to make a stand  
> And then go back and do our time  
> Out there in no man's land
> 
> Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band


End file.
